What are Parental Controls?
A. What can Parental Controls do?
B. Where can I find Parental Controls?
C. What can Parental Controls not do?
A. What can Parental Controls Do? (Back to top)
FAQ #3
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Route your child's email first to your account
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Reject email from specific email addresses
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Limit email with offensive language and personal information from being sent and received
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Block access to materials (text and pictures) identified as inappropriate for kids*
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Permit access only to materials specifically approved as safe for kids*
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Allow you to specify what types of materials are appropriate for your child
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Help you monitor your child's activity on the Internet by storing names of sites and/or snapshots of material seen by your child on the computer for you to view later
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Allow you to set different restrictions for each family member
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Limit results of an Internet search to content appropriate for kids
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Enforce time limits set by parents
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Allow access only to monitored chat rooms or block access to all chat rooms
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Block private messages between a child and another user
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Limit your child's ability to give out personal information
B. Where Can I Find Parental Controls? (Back to top)
There are three primary places from which parents can obtain parental control tools with the features described in this brochure.
- Your Internet Service Provider (ISP)
The best place to start is with the company that provides you with a connection to the Internet, such as America Online or Prodigy. Most offer a range of control features, often for free.
- Your Local Computer or Retail Store
Here you can buy "blocking and filtering" software, such as Cyber Patrol and CYBERsitter, which includes features similar to the ones provided by an ISP. You have to set up these products on your own computer.
- Your Web Browser
You also can use certain Web browsers, such as Microsoft Internet Explorer, to enforce parental control rating systems.
Keep an eye on other parental control tools, such as "safe areas" for kids, new types of rating systems, and search engines designed to find only information that has been approved for families.
C. What Can Parental Controls Not Do? (Back to top)
No parental control tool is 100% reliable. Not only do tools inadvertently allow access to some inappropriate material and block access to some valuable information, but savvy children may be able to get around the controls.